A Humboldt County jury convicted Jacob Charles Steele of second-degree murder on Tuesday, leaving the 23-year-old facing the prospect of spending the rest of his life in state prison.

Steele's conviction comes two years after he killed 29-year-old Jerry George in the living room of his McKinleyville apartment, firing a single shot from his pistol into George's head.

On Tuesday, after deliberating for a little more than two days, the jury of seven women and five men convicted Steele of second-degree murder, finding that he acted with malice when he shot George but that the killing wasn't a premeditated act -- a distinction that would have elevated the crime to murder in the first degree.

As courtroom clerk Kristy Silva read the jury's verdict, Steele appeared to crumple upon hearing the word "guilty," placing his head in his hands and slumping over in his chair. He wept as Silva read the rest of the verdict and asked each juror if the verdict, as read, reflected their vote.

After the verdict was read, members of George's family left the courtroom with tears in their eyes as Steele's family looked on in stunned silence. Steele was then led from the courtroom in handcuffs.

In addition to convicting Steele of second-degree murder, the jury found a number of special allegations to be true -- that Steele personally used a firearm in the murder and that he intentionally discharged it, causing great bodily injury and death to George -- and convicted him of making criminal threats.

When he comes before Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Marilyn Miles on March 13, Steele faces a sentence of between 73 years and eight months in prison to life in prison.

After the hearing, George's sister, Stella Cornely-George, of Eureka, said she was pleased with the verdict and credited Humboldt County District Attorney Paul Gallegos with doing a "great job" trying the case.

"Justice is finally done," she said. "Justice is finally served."

But Cornely-George's happiness was muted Tuesday. While relieved by the verdict, she said her overwhelming emotion was sadness.

"It's sad on both parts," she said. "Both of these men have kids. My brother had four. Jake (Steele) -- his son is in the same position as my nephew. He has to grow up without his dad."

Prosecutors alleged in the trial that Steele murdered George on the night of Jan. 21, 2010, shooting him in cold blood after the two engaged in an escalating argument over Mercedes Benzes, with Steele claiming to be the youngest man in McKinleyville driving one and George saying he knew plenty of other people Steele's age and younger driving the luxury cars.

Called to the stand to testify in his own defense, Steele said he shot George in self-defense that night when a drunk and belligerent George rushed at him with fists clenched. Then, Steele said, he panicked before he, his friends and family members worked to destroy evidence of the killing and disposed of George's body, which has never been recovered.

Steele's attorney Marion Miller was not immediately available for comment Tuesday.

Gallegos said he was grateful for the jury's service and felt the verdict was appropriate.

"The only thing that could really have made me happy is if Jerry George was alive again, and this had never happened," he said. "In the absence of that, this is a very unsatisfying second place."

After the verdict was read, jurors in the case said they found aspects of Steele's testimony to be truthful, but ultimately did not believe he acted in self-defense.

The jurors said they determined pretty early in deliberations that Steele acted with malice when he shot George once in the right temple that night, which ruled out a manslaughter verdict. From there, the jurors said, they dissected whether Steele's actions constituted first- or second-degree murder, with much of the discussion centering around whether the crime was premeditated. Ultimately, the jurors said that when they looked closely at the law, they believed second-degree murder fit Steele's crime.

Juror No. 2, who requested his name not be printed, said listening to 13 days of testimony from 18 witnesses -- some of whom described the shooting and its aftermath in graphic detail -- took a toll on all the jurors in the case.

George, a native of Lake Charles, La., saw his family displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 before moving to Humboldt County several years ago to reunite with his sisters. Friends and family describe George as a kind-hearted, polite man who was tight with his family and passionate about music.

Cornely-George said Tuesday that her family is hopeful the jury's verdict will offer some closure, allowing those who knew and loved George to focus their energy on mourning his death and remembering his life. She said her heart also goes out to Steele's family.

"I just pray for his family that they stay strong because they're hurting just like us," she said. "On the one hand, justice is served, but on the other, another person is being taken away."